Lauren Tamaki is the Shizzz!

You might have noticed the drop-dead, ridiculously amazing new addition to this blog that is the sketch above and if you haven't...take a look, dammit! The Katie Girls have a new look and it's all due to the amazingly talented Lauren Tamaki, who not only made me look really pretty, but captured the essence of The Katie Girls to the tee! I don't really know how to thank her for her contribution, but telling you the story of how I kind of used to hate her seems like a good start!

I used to hate Lauren Tamaki sooo much. Ok, maybe hate is the wrong word, but be-green-with-envy-of seems somehow less dramatic. She'd waltz into class with her perfectly coiffed pixie cut, whip out her watercolours and within five minutes she'd have completed a masterpiece. Like, eff that, right?

But it's a good thing I stopped being so jealous and just learned to appreciate the genius that is Lauren and her drawings. Each more creative and interesting than the next, her sketches range from whimsical line drawings to her more recent three dimensional sewing-class drawings and portraits (she just did one of Steve Buscemi...totally a candidate for Babe of the Biweekly). Anyways....check her out and make sure to keep an eye. This one's gonna go real far, real soon.

How To Dress Like: Anna Piaggi

With all the recent and frankly, omnipresent focus on Anna Wintour's ability to cooly reign it all in, I can't help but be thankful that there will always be an antithesis to her brand of austerity. Don't get me wrong, I worship a calculating brilliance like any other, but when I can barely manage to put on a bra in the morning that's when I think of Anna Piaggi, the famed mascot of Vogue Italia who is never dressed in anything but head-to-toe costume.

With her penchant for hair dye (she currently sports a light blue bob), cartoonish hats and bright sneakers – she’s who imagine Lewis Carroll would have fantasized about, had there not been so many little girls around…



In true 'How to Dress Like' fashion, let's break down her look!


Step 1: Obviously you’d need to dye your hair. Blue, green, pink or white would do. If this is merely a one day excursion into wild dressing, I suggest colored hairspray...does the trick and goes down the drain as easily as it was sprayed on.

Step 2: Take some lipstick and draw and big circle on one cheek…

Step 3: A strong lip is also quite important to Piaggi's look, feel free to experiment with brights...pink, red or orange work best.

Step 4: If you know any midgets, steal their hats. In the likely event that you don't (unlike Liz Lemon on that episode of 30 Rock!), I suggest a Petit Beret or a Chapeau Claudette!

Step 5: While you can cover them in newspaper to replicate this first look, you might want to keep them as is, for wacky variation's sake.

Step 6: Collect as many newspapers as you can. Tape a few together and then proceed to tape them to your body.

Step 7: Do you have a plate handy? It would make a perfect medallion on necklace, don't you think?

Step 8: Now cover one shoulder with a cape, a table cloth, hell, even the drapes.

Step 9: to further accessorize this look, take a look around your room and grab the first inanimate object you see...lampshade, wine bottle - anything goes! If you can figure out how to attach them to your outfit, then a tiny bowler hat off to you.

Step 10: Take a gym-class stretch around the room. If you don't break any immediate objects then it's off to Margiela with you! BRAVO!

There's a New Katie Girl in Town!

Things are changing at rapid pace here at The Katie Girls, and our new addition to the team is one of the most exciting yet! While Robin spends a bit more time on Teeny House Bunny, Sam (who you might remember as our first Katie Girl of the Month and Grey Vision) is officially joining the team! We can actually call ourselves a troika! How wild!

Sam is a recent graduate of Columbia University, currently studies fashion design at Parsons' New School and used to intern at Teen Vogue (where she met me!) Her keen aesthetic eye, knowledge of subversive art and film and general cuteness are all welcome assets to the Katie Girls...so stay tuned for an overload of her amazingness very soon!

Art Attack: Surreal Things

Ok, so it may be forevs since I posted, but that's just because I basically just flop on the couch and watch True Blood or Mad Men every night. And while those shows may be stimulating to my many senses, the exhibit I saw on Wednesday unequivocally blew my my mind, body and sort of I guess, soul?

Surreal Things (on until the 30th at the Art Gallery of Ontario) is the look at the wide-reaching affect Surrealism had on all commercial art forms during the first half of the 20th century, particularly the 30's to 50's - fashion, interiors, advertising etc. Aside from the fact that I'm partial to anything even touching on Surrealist fashion, Schiaparelli or otherwise, this exhibit was so chock-full of well chosen and fascinating items that I could barely even shift over to let someone else get a peek! Schiaparelli's Skeleton Dress in one corner....Dali's Aphrodisiac Jacket in another....they even had the goddamn lobster phone! I was kvelling I tell you, kvelling! So, before I wax so much that you dear readers bleed, I implore you! If you live, or will be visiting Toronto in the next days...see it! SEE IT!

Talent Scout: Speech by Michael Mercanti

For as much as cupcakes and puppies get me going, sometimes I just crave an edge. Naturally it'd make sense then, that I'm totally obsessed with my friend Michael Mercanti's line of jewellery for latter day punks, entitled Speech. (and honestly, check out the site...it's real cool!)

For three seasons now, Mikey's been molding everyday objects into edgy neckwear, and his latest edition is no different. Entitled 'Strange Days', the collection is comprised of effed looking pouches that hold a myriad of so called good luck charms (anything from puzzle pieces to mini spoons)...check out the awesomeness below!

And for a bit of shameless self promotion, check out the article I did on Mikey for Dazed & Confused earlier this year....